2 Samuel 8:16

2 Samuel 8:16 Translations

King James Version (KJV)

And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

American King James Version (AKJV)

And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

American Standard Version (ASV)

And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

Basic English Translation (BBE)

And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the army; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was keeper of the records;

Webster's Revision

And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

World English Bible

Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

English Revised Version (ERV)

And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder:

Clarke's Commentary on 2 Samuel 8:16

Joab - was over the host - General and commander-in-chief over all the army.

Ahilud - recorder - מזכיר mazkir, remembrancer; one who kept a strict journal of all the proceedings of the king and operations of his army; a chronicler. Or, remembrancer, or, writer of chronicles.

Barnes' Notes on 2 Samuel 8:16

For a similar account of the officers of Solomon's kingdom, see 1 Kings 4:1-6, where Jehoshaphat is still the recorder, and Benaiah is advanced to be captain of the host in the room of Joab. The recorder seems to have been a high officer of state, a kind of chancellor, whose office was to keep a record of the events of the kingdom for the king's information, and hence, he would naturally be the king's adviser. See Esther 6:1-2; Isaiah 36:22; 2 Chronicles 34:8. Such an officer is found among the ancient Egyptians and Persians.

Ahimelech the son of Abiathar - According to 1 Samuel 22:9-23, Abiathar, Zadok's colleague, was the son of Ahimelech. Abiathar the son of Ahimelech continued to be priest through the reign of David. (Compare also 1 Kings 1:7, 1 Kings 1:42; 1 Kings 2:22-27.) It almost necessarily follows that there is some error in the text.

The scribe - Or secretary of state 2 Kings 12:10; 2 Kings 18:37, different from the military scribe (Judges 5:14 note).

Wesley's Notes on 2 Samuel 8:16

8:16 Recorder - The treasurer, who examined all the accounts, and kept records of them.